March 21, 2026 -- Proverbs 7:1-5 -- Armed and ready for the inevitable temptation

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

My son, keep my words
and treasure up my commandments with you;
2  keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
3  bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4  Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and call insight your intimate friend,
5  to keep you from the forbidden woman,
from the adulteress with her smooth words.
English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Proverbs 7:1–5.
 
Spring is here…though with the amount of snow we’re getting here in Moncton today, it still feels like the clutches of winter have a stranglehold. Soon however, the weather will warm up. Inevitably people will shed layers of clothing; it is a season where many people struggle with lust because so much more skin is exposed. Especially in our day and in this culture where modesty is considered prudishly old fashioned. Why mention this? Well, Proverbs offer strong, repeated, and timely warnings against adultery. 
 
Notice the parallel structure, keep the words of the father and keep his commandments, and keep them as the apple of your eye so that by them you will be kept from the forbidden woman. She is forbidden because she will go after the married man. Men and women can not claim to be uninformed. They are repeatedly warned in the Scriptures and given all the necessary equipping against the attacks of lust. She is forbidden to the single man who is commanded to remain pure unto the Lord until he is married. This woman shamelessly lures her unwary male victim into sin.
 
In our culture and time, there are so many sexual variations to this forbidden woman. Movies and media celebrate men luring other men. Women alluring women, and so on. There is celebration of sexual curiosity which seductively invites you to explore any form of sexuality. Sexual curiosity is presented as cost and consequence free expressions of self. Don't be stupid. It is the path of self-destruction and death. The Bible sets the standard of love and godly sexuality by which one can find true blessedness.
 
Why does the Bible set our standard? Because our Father in heaven, Who made us, has the right to determine how we are to live and how our life serves to bring Him glory. Jesus’ life on earth, lived amid all the wicked temptations which are familiar to us today, was perfect and holy. That is why He is the sacrifice Who, at the cross, took upon Himself, God’s punishment against our sin. The Spirit of God is given to all who are in Christ, so that all temptations to sin can be thrown down and defeated.
 
Another note, the invitation to sexual wickedness will be a provocative call. The wily adulteress will approach you. The sin-sickened male given over to his sin by God, will seek to entice you. Sin is the aggressor. Men and woman trapped in the vile evil of their ways willingly plan how to bring you down into their sin.
 
Think how you protect your eye, from pokes, from dust, from all harm. As much as you protect your eye, so you must protect your heart, preparing its defenses against all forms of adultery. The commands of God and His teaching (teaching means the right direction in which we are to travel) must be so precious to us that by them we are protected against any intrusion or temptation. Wisdom will be for your mind and soul an intimate friend; friend, what a beautiful description of what happens when the commandments of God have, over the course of decades, became familiar and dear to us. These very commandments and teachings draw us closer to God, the Giver of these instructions.
 
Please note, I have been intentional in using the Lord’s Prayer today. By it Jesus instructed His followers to know their sins, however great and heinous, can be forgiven. It is the reason the Father is hallowed, that is honoured and declared the sourced of blessing> He is hallowed precisely because He has given us Jesus, the One through Whom all our sins, trespasses, have been forgiven. In Jesus’ Name, we are made new and treasure up the commandments of God. His will is done, on earth as it is in heaven, through the work of the Holy Spirit, poured out into the lives of believers. The Spirit prompts us to treasure up the commands of God and works the teaching into the deepest places of our decision-making and impulses so that we are kept from wily adulteresses and adulterers.
 
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name,
Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/jWHssWNwu5s?si=KEDldYuhW49GknA8 Rushing Wind
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

March 19, 2026 -- Proverbs 6:20, 23a -- Godly instruction from father and mother

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

20  My son, keep your father’s commandment,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching.
23  For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light…
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Pr 6:20, 23a.
 
Maybe, like me, you’ve had a tendency to exaggerate. For example, when repeating an instruction to my recalcitrant child, I’d exclaim “If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times…” The point is, repeated instructions are necessary when training up a child in the way he should go. Humbling, but true, even as adults, we know the good way, we know the truth Jesus commands us to obey, and yet we swerve away from it. We need the repeated instructions of a faithful father and the teaching of a righteous mother as these are expressed in Scriptures.
 
Interestingly, even this brief passage is radical. It speaks of parents as, one man, one woman, to the exclusion of all others. Marriage is honorable. It is the building block of society by which covenant children are raised in the knowledge of the LORD. No wonder society at large seeks to break down the blessing of marriage by encouraging rebellion in children, teaching sexually violent theories in public schools. Society attacks marriage by legalizing all kinds of perversions and variants of sexual coupling and calling it marriage. The Bible is radical in today’s world; as radical as it has always been.
 
A father’s commandment is instruction in of the word of God. Notice at verse 23 the value of such instruction: it is a lamp. This foreshadows the teaching of Jesus. All godly commandments are anchored in the Truth of Jesus. Again, this is considered radical in our world precisely because unbelieving people want autonomy. The problem is an unbelieving person is a tyrant, whose dictates are self-destruction, fueled by the fires of hell. Even men and women who profess a living faith in Jesus must battle the insurgent tendencies arising within which rebel against the good we know. That is why Christians who mess up must be ready to fess up; that is what integrity looks like.
 
“The mother’s teaching” in the original language is the mother’s Torah. The Torah is the name used for first five books of the Old Testament. Torah is also, in other contexts, the expression of the right direction. Such teaching, such Torah is light. Jesus picks up these references in Proverbs 20 and 23; He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but have the light of life” (John 8:12 ESV). The rules and statutes and laws and commandments of God are not boring. They set the course of one’s life, making sure the godly one's heading is aimed directly towards Jesus. Making the commandments and teaching of the LORD your chosen path means you are interacting with the LORD Who made you, loves you, and intends what is best for you in all things.
 
LORD of Commandment and Love, by the presence of Your Spirit help me to see that Your laws show me my sin, lead me to find forgiveness in Christ, and guide me in grateful living. Forgive me for thinking about Your laws and commands in the abstract, as if they are not fundamentally tied into Your best intentions for me, Your child. Spirit, lead me in the way of Truth, then my walk with God truly will be endless praise and thanksgiving. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/FSHe-kibZDg?si=9pDRcKsE76WUobPM Teach Me Your Way, O Lord
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

March 17, 2026 -- Proverbs 6:6-11 -- What Can I learn from an Ant? Seriously?!

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

6 Go to the ant, O sluggard;
    consider her ways, and be wise.
7 Without having any chief,
    officer, or ruler,
8 she prepares her bread in summer
    and gathers her food in harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
    When will you arise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest,
11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
    and want like an armed man.
Proverbs 6:6-11 ESV
 
Sluggard. What a descriptive word that is. A lazy person. A slothful person. A sleepy person. I’ve usually heard the text above applied to people who aren’t working hard, but hardly working. It makes sense. If you are not prepared to work, and to put strength into it, you will be financially poor. Dig deeper.
 
Think of this passage as applied to one who is learning to walk with God. The laws, and precious promises, and commands of God are all meant to be food for the soul. A lazy person misses out on opportunities to feast on the word of God. When the time is ripe and there are opportunities to read and pray, he is sleeping. He is folding his hands and doing nothing. The result is this: when hard times comes (and believe you me, they always do!), and he desperately needs the promises, the assures and the guidance of the Word, he will have nothing stored up in his heart and mind. He will be impoverished regarding the Word of God.
 
Are you a spiritual sluggard? Are you lazy regarding the things of God? You meant to read the Bible, but you scrolled through videos instead. You are planning on spending time in prayer but find hours have gone by as you’ve been watching sports, or playing video games, (or you fill in your favorite time waster). You meant to listen to a podcast explaining something about the faith, but you didn’t. In fact, you can’t even explain what you did with your time. You just didn’t spend it with God. The glorious rescue that is yours in Jesus Christ is not amazing wondrous to you. You haven’t taken hold of relationship with Him. Today’s passage is teaching you: if you don’t stand with Him, you’ll fall for anything.
 
The poverty of your soul will hit you to moment you have a hard decision to make, and you realize you have no depth of character. The poor condition of your soul will hit you upside the head like a smack when you hear a bad report and realize you are so far from God that you doubt. “Will He ever hear me?” you endlessly question. Even if He might hear you, you don’t know how to pray. How to reach out to Him.
 
Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to renew your vows and walk with God. Today is the day, having been warned by this passage, to start anew and recommit to your Bible reading time. The goal is not to tick a box and say, “See, I read the Bible”. The goal is to know Jesus. The whole Bible is about Him; He brings you to the Father in heaven as a beloved son or daughter. I challenge you, how much will you read every day? A chapter a day? A chapter in the Old Testament and a chapter in the New Testament a day? Okay. Write it down somewhere. Make a commitment to this and tell someone. Believe you me, the Spirit of God delights to fill you with the word of God
 
What about spending time in prayer? If you have lost your ability to pray, before reading the Bible, pray the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). Read the Bible. Then end by praying a psalm. Yes, the psalms are prayers to help the people of God learn to grow in their communication with our King! Tell someone about your decision. Hold yourself accountable on this.
 
Father in heaven, I confess how lazy I am. How slow to obey I have been. I can’t even keep track of how often I’ve promised to spend time with You, only to find the day, the week, or the month has slipped by and I can’t recall what I did…but I didn’t grow in my walk with You. Spirit of God, by Bible reading and prayer, lead me to Jesus. Help me to find an accountability partner who will ask me about this commitment so that I will be more inclined to do what I am pledging. God, You are worthy of this. God, You are great, and the source of anything that is Good in my life; as I read and pray, open my eyes to this Truth. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/u_ZWEO36jok?si=kNkuWulNC61OX0vx Forgiven

 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

March 16, 2026 -- Proverbs 5:21-23 -- A pinprick of evil and the consequences

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD,
and he ponders all his paths.
The iniquities of wicked ensnare him,
and he is held fast by the cords of his sin.
He dies for lack of discipline,
and because of his great folly he is led astray.
Proverbs 5:21-23 ESV
 
Where are you headed? What you might be excusing as “no big deal” is in fact a sin that will lead you far from your goal of serving Jesus. Can you see it? Do you understand how one misstep leads to a completely different destination? That misstep is sin. It is a conscious choice made without considering the long-term consequences. But the passage is a warning. It is written so that believers will consider their choices, words, and their actions.
 
Sins that are in a very early stage, and freely chosen, soon become like binding ropes or chains. The first puffs of a vape might be voluntary, but soon, the body craves it. What was a little pull, soon becomes an addictive chain. The first sin in a chain is usually so small. It takes spiritual discernment. What began as a little compromise, or a tiny deviation from a parent’s godly instruction soon becomes a flood of wickedness. There are no such things as “little sins”. Consider a balloon filled with water. A pinprick to the balloon will cause the water to explode out as much as a stick or a bullet hitting it. That little pinprick into evil unleashes far more than you realize or ever wanted.
 
Discipline is the key. I like how someone once described discipline as the tide coming into a harbor. It doesn’t just raise one boat—the tide raises them all. If you imagine discipline in one area of your life as a tide, you’ll see other, unexpected areas affected as well. For example, your decision to spend more time in exercising will likely lead you to reconsider eating a second dessert. You realize how much more you’ll need to exercise just to burn the calories, and you decide it is not worth it. Discipline teaches you to weigh consequences.
 
Your walk with Jesus Christ is the right path. Wisdom instructs you to follow Him with all your heart, mind, soul. Loving Jesus means you aren’t looking for ways to avoid doing the things He commands. A man in love with his wife will anticipate her desires and have that coffee ready for her before she even asks. A soldier who admires his Captain and is fiercely loyal leaps up to obey His every command. That’s what it’s like for believers who know Jesus, the Captain of Salvation. His commands are not burdensome. Out of deep devotion to Him Who rescued them from the wrath of God against sin, believers love Him, jumping up to do everything He commands.
 
O Glorious God Who hears the prayers of His people, thank You for the rich and beautiful salvation You have lavished on Your people through Jesus, the Captain of Salvation. Forgive us for our lazy obedience, and many times we calculate how far we can creep away from You and still stay within the range of Your love. Spirit of the Living God, revive in us a profound thankfulness for all that we have received in Christ so that we are motivated so serve our God promptly and sincerely. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/o-ImfnUqWxg?si=DoIOJQccDKmamGCl All Praise To Him
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

March 15, 2026 -- John 15:15 -- Jesus, Friend

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
John 15:15 ESV
 
Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ—take a moment and think about a dear friend you have in your life. According to the latest neuroscience research, your brain lights up whenever you interact with your close friend. A coffee chat or a meal, or an unexpected meeting, a hug—these interactions with your friend flood your brain with feel good chemicals. God designed you that way. He made you for relationship with Himself. He made you to delight in relationships with other Christians. Even non-Christians are greatly blessed by the gift of good friends—it is the generosity of our glorious God. He showers the people of the earth with rich and mighty blessings so that they might turn to Him in awe and thankfulness.
 
Now, consider the intimacy of relationship Jesus offers to you, His follower. He offers you friendship. What a massive blessing. One of the blessings of friendship is the desire to know more about the person you love. Newfound friends often spend a huge amount of time on the phone, in person hanging out, because there is great joy in learning more about this person who has captured your attention. Your soul will light up at knowing Jesus!
 
Jesus has made known to you all that He heard from the Father. What a vast, glorious, wonderful, and infinite store of information is at your fingertips. Read the Bible. Get to know Jesus. Attend church and hear about the rich storehouse of blessings that are yours in Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit to pour into your life more, more of Jesus. Life in Christ is extraordinary, savour Him, rejoice in knowing Him. He really is the Light of Life.
 
Father in heaven, thank You for the tremendous gift of Jesus, Your Son, our Savior. Thank You that knowing You is not merely an intellectual exercise. Knowing You is what life is all about. Spirit of God, help me to deeply and truly know Jesus. Spirit of God, the Bible teaches me that Jesus is not merely a historical figure, or an intellectual exercise, He is the key figure of all history, living today in the splendour in heaven, yet inviting me to know Him as friend. Stir up in me a holy hunger to be more connected to Jesus and way more intentional in my life with Him. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/BY6VAy9y_iQ?si=qokX2WQoY0xl0VD3 Jesus, Friend of Sinners
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

March 14, 2026 -- Luke 6:27-28 -- Whatdja mean I gotta love my enemies?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
Luke 6:27-28 ESV
 
You are probably very familiar with these words. Especially if you have attended church for a long time. These are words that show up at over twenty-five places in the Bible. These are not just tucked away in an obscure place, this is the hard teaching through-out the Bible that requires you to stir up your soul from lethargy and your great complicity to the culture. To love your enemies is to put to death your easy hatred of the people groups and biases of the society which you live in. To love your enemies means you are actively praying for those people who oppose you. Urgently appealing to God for the very people who would put you in prison, if they had the power to do so. You are looking for ways to be kind to those who take every opportunity to undercut you, mock you, or worse.
 
Be honest, it is hard enough to love the people in your life who are part of your church or part of your social network. Many of you are in a bubble, surrounded by many Christians, or those who are Christian in name. Such people are part of your family. Or at your workplace. Or members of your sports team. There are over-bearing people. There are glory-hogs. There are self-interested people that you must see periodically because they’re married into your family. But these are not enemies. These are folks who are naturally part of your life’s circle of influence and people you are required to get along with.
 
Enemies are those foremost who hate Jesus, Who is the lover of your soul, your Savior. An enemy is someone who hates Jesus (though he might never use such strong language.) An enemy is seeking to be his own savior. Or find salvation in good works. Or in philosophy. Or in acquiring wealth. Or in philanthropy. Enemies are those who have both power and influence and are actively hating God. Since they can’t tweak God’s nose, they are actively hating His people. They would be shocked at your language and that you think of them in such a way.
 
How did God bring you to Himself? While you were still His enemy He sent Jesus into the world. While His own people acted as if He were a stranger, a usurper, Jesus served, offering up Himself in complete obedience to His Father, for a people who willing despised Him and crucified Him. It is too easy to say, “If I were there, I’d have acted differently.” Would you? Really? What about the times, like Peter, when someone asked you about your faith, and you didn’t have the time to answer. Or were embarrassed to answer? Or you didn’t want to get into an argument, so you soft-played your faith? Be honest. You were an active enemy and if you are truly a Christian, your past behavior embarrasses and pains you. Even now, you realize how weak you are in your faith and ready to defend yourself, lash out at others, or act in ways that are opposed to your confession.
 
Be humbled by the grace of God. Amazed at His patient, persistence in rescuing you. If God takes someone like you, and brings you to Himself through Jesus Christ, and guards you as His own through the power of the Holy Spirit (think of it, you can’t even stay faithful to God through your own merits or strength or faith! It is all God!) then how much more ought you to love your enemies with the glorious, urgent-prayer-filled-expectation, that perhaps one day they will join you in blessing our God and king?!
Faithful God, give me a holy hunger to

• pray at every opportunity for those who hate Jesus and therefore hate me

• speak no ill of those who are in government over me, but honour such men and women as those whom You’ve appointed to such positions

• work for the good of those who would just as soon spit on me, ignoring the insult, knowing it is You, Jesus, Who I am serving.

Spirit of God, help me to examine all my motives, my impulses and reasons for acting so that I will be guarded in the purity of the righteousness that is mine in Christ.
Spirit of God, fill my heart and mind with the glorious salvation so richly lavished on me, a reluctant, unworthy, convert so that the breathlessly wonderful redemption that is mine in Christ will move me to fervently love Him, expressing this love in my love to neighbour and love to enemies.
Even as I am praying this, I am struggling. My rebellious heart and anxious mind wail, “But I can’t do this! It is too hard!” Calm my tremulous mind with the peace that passes understanding, the peace anchored in Jesus Himself, Who has placed me in the care of my Father in heaven, in Whose hand I am safe. No angel or demon, life or death, prosperity or poverty, prison or persecution can ever separate me from the love of God which is mine in Christ Jesus! Knowing this, propel me to live it. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/D_35IPrjzq8?si=A5vF-2lIcULZwQqz Jesus, Thank You
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

March 12, 2026 -- Proverbs 5:3-14 -- Sin and Restoration

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

3  For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil,
4  but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
5  Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol;
6  she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it.
7  And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8  Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house,
9  lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless,
10  lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,
11  and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed,
12  and you say, “How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!
13  I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.
14  I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation.”
English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Proverbs 5:3–14.
 
The big question folks always ask is: why? Why do I have to keep the ways of the LORD? Why do I have to be wise? Why do I have to be a man of discretion who guards knowledge? Here is a very practical example of why wisdom is so important. A fool will immediately welcome a chance to have sex with a willing woman. A fool will find the honeyed words of a wayward woman to be sweet, the oils and perfumes of her body to be alluring, but intimacy with her leads to ruin. Regret. At best you will be a laughingstock, at worst you’ll be diseased, going to death.
 
Be clear, the curse of Adam and Eve’s Fall, their sinful rebellion against God is clearly laid out here. Ungodly women will seek to entrap men in sex. Foolish men will be ravenous for sex. Sex is celebrated in our world. All kinds of deviations and perversions of it rock our world. Notice the impact of sexual activity that is outsides the bounds of God-ordained sexuality (which is one man, one woman to the exclusion of all others). When sex is an act of sin, it results in:

• A shift from merely thinking about sinning, to plunging in expecting you’ll have a honey of a time; only to realize how foolish you were blowing up your life

• Regret as bitter as wormwood (a very distasteful plant)

• A sword which uncontrollably wounds, slices, cuts away what is good in your life

• Death for the woman and death to men who used her

• Being taken off the path of life, and being left aimless, wounded, and foolish

• Giving away your good reputation

• Honour trampled to the ground

• Bearing the merciless, painful taunts of others

• Helplessness and defenseless when strangers torment you about your past sin

• You groan with grief that can’t be assuaged

• Your flesh is consumed by the diseases of her prostitution

• Your mind is eaten up by regret, sorrow, and fear of exposure

• You will wrestle with regret…even as you are tempted to go back to your sin

• You will have the scorn of your teachers

• You will isolate yourself, afraid to seek wise counsel and godly help

• You will wonder if you can return to the assembled congregation of the people of God.

Be assured there is hope. How do I know this? The Proverbs are written so that those who are far down the road to destruction will have their conscience awakened by the Holy Spirit. God revives and the soul by the love that reaches all the way down to them, offered through the sacrifice of Jesus.
 
The Proverbs are a warning to the people of God to keep them from sin. The Proverbs speak to those who have stumbled far along the path of ruin, calling them to repent and turn to God. Jesus is your Healer. Jesus is your very great hope, Who bears away your sin and your shame. In Jesus Christ, the fool you once were, is now buried through the waters of baptism. The new life that is yours in Christ takes hold of you and renews you.
 
These words are also written so that members of the church are reminded to be merciful to the wayward man and the once-adulterous woman. James reminds believers that it is holy work to bring back to Jesus one who wanders from the truth. Proverbs remind us that even the righteous fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked fall and stay in their ruin (Proverbs 24:16). Who in the church will be patient, gracious, and helpful? What the Bible exposes is how absolutely wicked each man, each woman and each child is. The heart is in constant warfare against its own soul which is leaning on Jesus. Believers must know the depths of their own depravity before they can truly understand the grace they’ve received in Jesus and therefore the compassionate grace they can extend to those who need it.
 
O LORD, if You kept track of our every sinful thought, every careless word, every act of iniquity, and all the good we knew we should have done, but didn’t, not one of us would ever be able to lift our eyes to You. But You have lavished extravagant forgiveness on Your people through the costly cross of Jesus Christ. You have punished Your beloved Son, so that all who turn to You are now called beloved sons and daughters of the Most High God. No wonder You are feared! No wonder the Spirit Who reveals this truth motivates forgiven believers so that they eagerly and gladly obey the commandments of God—which are for them the path of thankfulness and the path of life regained. Forgive us, Compassionate Father, for all the times we have kept a record of the sins of others, while we are at the same time counting on You to forget ours. As restored sinners, every single one of us, equally indebted to Your marvellous, matchless grace, we wait upon You, O God. Restore us to Yourself in love. Restore us to one another in true community. Restore us to be a people who do not keep track of sins, but instead deliberately celebrate every wayward one who returns to the fold of our God. Restore us to a deep and abiding love so that the world around us gasps and says, “See how they love one another!” And by Your grace many more are added to Your people, broken people restored in Christ Jesus our King. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/slQ6MTJLU4I?si=ST3w9LmSdXoHYTHx Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

March 11, 2026 -- Proverbs 5:1-2 -- What are wisdom, understanding, and discretion?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

My son, be attentive to my wisdom;
incline your ear to my understanding.
that you may keep discretion,
and your lips may guard knowledge.
Proverbs 5:1-2 ESV
 
Wisdom. It can also be translated as “a spirit of skill”, as it is in Exodus 28:3. There wisdom is the ability to make the garments for Aaron the priest. Wisdom is gained from years of attentiveness to the word of God. Wisdom is not gained through a study guide (like “wisdom for dummies”); it is the skill gained through a lifetime of practice, honing, obedience. The father teaches his son out of the abundance of his experience interacting with Scriptures and then following through with what he’s read in daily life, walking with God, in learning submission through trials and discipline.
 
When wisdom and understanding are combined, taught with persistence through godly instructors, the one who hears it gains discretion. Discretion carries the sense of knowing one’s purpose. Discretion is employing both wisdom and understanding so that one’s words and deeds line up in godly action. Discretion is that sense of purpose one has in life. Wisdom and understanding teach me, I am made by God. I am made for God’s glory. My life has meaning and I exercise the fullness of the purposes for which I was made when I live for God.
 
The work of Jesus was to live out all righteousness. He fulfilled the requirements of God for a holy, godly life. Jesus’ every word, deed, and ambition combined to serve God. He lived with holy discretion—learning from the wisdom of His earthly father, living in obedience to the teaching of His mother so that His life was acceptable as the sacrifice which takes away our sin. At the cross of Jesus Christ, all our failures in wisdom, in understanding, in discretion, in knowledge are placed on Jesus, the spotless lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. God the Father punished Him in our place. All His righteousness (His fulfilment of the law’s demands) is credited to us. He paid for our sins: past, present, and future.
 
In view of Jesus’ great act of life-long, willing obedience to His Father and then, in our place taking on the full weight of God’s punishment against our sins, we dedicate ourselves to wisdom, and understanding, so that we can keep discretion. Having been instructed in the vast love of God shown to us in Christ, our purpose is to pour out our lives in thankfulness to the Father, for the gift of Jesus and this in the power of the Holy Spirit. When you mess up, fess up. When you struggle, know that you are in most important battle of your life—being drained of the poison of evil and filled to the full measure of purity in Christ.
 
Father in heaven, help me to seek Your kingdom and the righteousness of Jesus Christ. May my spiritual health be upper most in my mind and guide my actions. I confess I know this is the right thing to pray for, but even as I pray it, I don’t desire it as much as I ought to desire it. Merciful Father, by the purifying work of Your Spirit, lead me to Jesus, and thoroughly cleanse me from the inside out. Lead me, Spirit of God, so that instruction becomes tested and refined and ultimately becomes mature, true, godly wisdom. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/vCcGqMHndxo?si=migq74_zKbQaDd_G Worthy is the Lamb that was Slain
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

March 10, 2026 -- Proverbs 5:1 -- Instructing children in the faith

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

My son, be attentive to my wisdom
Proverbs 5:1a ESV
 
Be honest, how often does your attention wander when you should be listening closely to the word of God? It is so easy to take meandering mental detours when we should be listening closely. Recently I drove from Ontario to New Brunswick. While driving I had a wonderful chance to listen to many teaching podcasts. I listened to a pair of sermons given by the late Tim Keller. Keller noted that Christians must grow from childhood to maturity in the faith. The Proverbs address the listener as “my son”. There are instructions which apply to youth, to men, and to those who are mature seniors in the faith.
 
Consider youthful enthusiasm and the Christian faith. “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” I John 2:1. Children are impulsive. They need ready instruction in confession and forgiveness. They are restless. Their emotions are not governed, as with those who are maturing in the fruit of the Spirit and walking with self-control. Little wonder then that so many proverbs start with “O sons” or “my son”; it is as if a faithful, godly parent needs to regain the attention of his little listener who is straying.
 
The son must be attentive—it is a command. (Again, the command to be attentive is an instruction that is frequently used, ie: Proverbs 4:1, 20, and now here 5:1). Little ones have short attention spans. Are likely to wander in their thoughts. They see something that catches the eye and they’re ready to get up mid conversation and follow their impulses. To mature in the faith requires persistent, godly teaching. To mature in the faith, one must also govern his mind, thoughts, and actions. Those who persist in fighting their willful rebellion against God will find delight in Him.
 
Father in heaven, blessed be Your Name!
Thank You for the patient, godly, instructors who persist in leading young Christians in the way of righteousness.
Father, Source of All Good, thank You for those who are young in the faith, hungry to learn and excited in knowing more about You.
Glorious God, thank You for the gift of Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Spirit of God, quell the rising emotive interruptions that would disturb learning; and give great calmness to those who are leading young Christians in the way everlasting.
Triune God, let little ones grow and mature in Christ; young men grow and mature in their ability to fight the tempter’s power, and fathers and mothers in the faith reflect their ever-deepening knowledge of God to those around them so that those who follow in their steps may be discipled in Christ. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/KU5ct0iY-Ds?si=kVGrFbOggsgopyol Am I Soldier of the Cross
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

March 6, 2026 -- Proverbs 4:23 -- What good or evil is flowing out of you?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
Proverbs 4:23 ESV
 
Standing all alone it seems like an odd little verse. Lately we’ve been examining the instruction of godly fathers and the teaching of mothers who are faithful to God. We’ve noted there are two pathways: the highway of evil that leads to destruction and the road of wisdom that deepens one’s relationship with God for all eternity. In many ways this is a summary statement. A key reminder that what you’ve put into your heart will inevitably flow out from it.
 
Perhaps this was the background of wisdom Jesus used as He taught:
How can you speak good when you are evil?
For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
The good person out of his good treasure
brings forth good,
and the evil person out of his evil treasure
brings forth evil.
(Matthew 12:34b-35)
What you see, what you hear, what you read, what you think about, what group of people are your closest companions—all of these will affect, or infect your heart. If you are not constantly guarding your heart, vigilantly, carefully, thoroughly, you’ll be pouring the poison of evil into the deepest part of your decision-making self. Soon all you desire, think about, see, and do confirms the ever-widening pool of corruption in your heart.
 
However, the man who trusts in God, walking in His ways, opening himself up to all godly instruction will be guarding the treasured well-spring of his heart. A man’s heart is made pure by Jesus through faith in Him. A godly woman is guarded in purity by her utter submission to the Holy Spirit. Every godly person carefully scrutinizes all the input of the world. That means to guard his mind by filtering through his faith all that his eyes and ears pick up. Whatever is ungodly, vile, or good-seeming-but-is-actually-evil, will be flagged and discarded. Why?
 

• First of all, our lives were bought at the cost of the blood of Jesus Christ. He bore the full weight of God’s anger against our sin. What other response could there ever be but the profound and glorious desire to stay within that pleasant place where we’re counted the beloved of God?

• Second, people who know we are Christians are looking at us. Does your life really reflect the fullness of your awe-filled, profound gratitude to the Living God for His glorious rescue? If not, then they’ll know you are as much a fraud as the next person and your faith is worthless.

• Third, as Jesus said, the heart, the source of your life from which flows either the poison of evil infection; or, guarded from it flows the springs of life. Fourth, Jesus Himself said He is a spring of water that wells up to eternal life (John 4:14). When people who know you as you were, see you as you are in Christ, it will be obvious, only Jesus, the Savior could have effected that massive change in you. God will be praised. When people who see you in Christ and know you are His servant, see your long-term faithfulness to Jesus, they will know, this could only come from a soul that is purified by a power greater than your own willpower.

 
Father in heaven thank You for Jesus Who is the spring of water welling up to eternal life. Holy Father and Blessed Savior, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit Who has opened up within the life of every believer this deep well of life, wisdom, and holiness. We confess how readily we pollute this spring in thought, word, deed and even in good deeds we know we should do but leave undone. Oh Father, at the start of this new day, cleanse us once again, as we confess our sins. Renew in us the vitality of the waters springing up in us to eternal life so that from that treasured source we bring forth good in whatever we do our say. Triune God, to You be the glory, now and forever more. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/CyHbdqB8kto?si=eeAcRYRzJjtvvuN3 I Surrender All
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

March 4, 2026 -- Proverbs 4:18-19 -- Choose the hard path. The right, hard path.

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know over what they stumble.
Proverbs 4:18-19 ESV
 
What are you looking at? Movies. Social media. Heroes. Money. Goals. Jesus taught that the eye is the lamp of the body (Matthew 6:22); so, whatever it is you meditate on, you are constantly pouring into your brain. What you are looking at stimulates your desires and sets your course. What are you looking at? It is what will guide you. If your physical eyes, and your spiritual eyes, are always considering the Jesus, the Light of Life (John 8:12) your life’s path will be filled with light. It is brightness that increases with every passing day, because each day with Jesus brings fuller, greater light into your life.
 
If, however, you are walking your own path, trying to do things on your own with little, or no real reference to Jesus, then you will be heading into ever deeper darkness. My aging father needs a walker. I never realized how hard it is to use to walker. It is tempting to look at your feet. Interestingly, the more you look down, the more likely you are to stumble. When you look up and straight ahead, your steps become steadier and you’re less likely to fall. That is the point of this passage as well. If you are not looking up to Jesus, and you’re not putting your full weight on His Spirit, the walker, you will inevitably fall, stumbling into ever darker paths.
 
So, clear out for yourself a path forward. Spend time with Jesus in Bible reading and prayer. Listen to godly podcasts and excellent sermons. Spend time with Christians whose walk with God inspires you. You will find life as challenging and hard as it ever was, but the difference is you’ll be walking in the Light of Life and by His Spirit have the full support you require. Choose your hard path.
 
Our Father, You have revealed Yourself as He Who lives in unapproachable Light. Your excellencies and glory and holiness are so far beyond us. Yet, in Your great mercy and love You draw Your people to Yourself in Jesus—Who is the Light of Life. He is Way of Light. Patient Father, You have given the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit Who fills our spiritual eyes with the Light of Life, so that the more we ponder Jesus, the steadier are our footfalls on the pathway of all that is excellent and true. Thank You that You are the glorious, patient God, Who brings us great light and freedom so that our lives, in every step, declare Your praise. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/rpYM6Et_hVY?si=2YRGf3EmgW--C2rz He Leadeth Me
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 28, 2026 -- Romans 5:10 -- Jesus, Friend of Sinners

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
Romans 5:10 ESV
 
Sometimes a different translation of a verse will really grab your attention. It is important to note that translations of the Bible differ because some strive to translate word for word exact. Those of you who know two or more languages know that every language is unique. Idiomatic expressions, and even the context of words, means that a literal, word for word translation will feel very unnatural, stilted. Other translations seek to capture the sense of a passage but not be as focused on a literal word for word translation. However, such a translation can feel “loose”. Also, language changes quickly, so those kinds of translations soon feel very out of date.
 
This morning, I was reading a variation of Romans 5:10. It is in more contemporary language:
Even when we were God's enemies, he made peace with us,
because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater
than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God,
we will be saved by the life of his Son.
Romans 5:10 (Contemporary English Version).
That phrase, something greater than friendship is ours, grabbed my attention today. It stirs my soul to consider that the God of Universal Power and Glory would stoop down to make me His friend.
 
Other verses in the Bible also touch on this concept of Jesus as our friend. A well-known example is this one:
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know
what his master is doing; but I have called you friends,
for all that I have heard from my Father
I have made known to you. (John 15:15 ESV)
Think how much your dearest, here-on-earth friend means to you. If your friend, who is as evil as you are, knows how to truly bless and encourage you, how much more, your truest, deepest, perfect Friend Jesus must love you. It is such an excellent concept to meditate on.
 
Father in heaven, blessed is Your Name, now and forevermore!
Thank You for the great, extravagant, and glorious gift of Jesus. Thank You that He is the Friend of sinners. Jesus, by Whose blood, sinners are reconciled to You, O Father, and called beloved sons and daughters of God. Spirit of the Living God, thank You for uniting us to Jesus, the greatest, truest friend. Spirit of God, teach us to such faithful to friends in Him, that others around us will see, and long to know Jesus. Jesus, Friend of Sinners, let Your goodness be broadcast far and wide until the full count of those appointed to Your service are brought into Your Kingdom. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/BY6VAy9y_iQ?si=G44-6NVbpNcmSwb_ Jesus, Friend of Sinners
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 27, 2026 -- Proverbs 4:13-14 -- The spiritual ground-to-air defense system

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your life.
Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of the evil.
Proverbs 4:13-14 ESV
 
The word “instruction” is the Hebrew word that could also be translated, reproof, warning, correction, education or training. Depending on the context, it is either negative as a warning, or, as in our context, positive, as setting one on the pathway of life in Christ. According the one encyclopedia, the word instruction/discipline can be explained this way:
To discipline a person or a group means to put them
in a state of good order so that they function in the way
intended. Discipline, in spite of a popular misconception,
is not inherently stern or harsh. Bible translators chose
“disciple” as an appropriate term for one who learns by
following.
 Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, pp 631–633
 
Instruction prepares the wise son, and the prudent daughter, so that every individual is prepared for the days of hardship or temptation which are brought on by the wiles of the Devil. Discipline as it is applied to Christians in community, aids individuals who are living and serving together so that the strong help those struggling in their time of weakness. Discipline both guards against waywardness, and it maps out a road to reconciliation and restoration. When one has fallen, discipline becomes discipleship, allowing the follower to find his way back to Jesus and back to full fellowship with His people.
 
Conversely, to enter the path of the wicked means that one has toyed with sin. One has recognized there might be danger in an activity, a movie, an invitation, a decision, but despite the ringing of the alarm bells of the conscience, one pushes past his good instruction and launches himself into the on-coming disaster. For the Christian, to enter the path of the wicked, or to walk in evil is not something accidental. It didn’t just “happen”. At some point it was a conscious choice. The small tentacles of evil stretched out towards you, fleeting considerations of something bad, but these were not immediately crushed and shunned. The idea took hold of your imagination, running in the distant background of your mind, while you went on with your daily activities. Eventually, you find at the end of the day, you’ve done your normal good, but the imagined evil from earlier in the day, not immediately renounced or rooted out, has become a full-blown compulsion. You feel a strong desire to do what you’ve been considering, justifying, because so much earlier you allowed it to be considered as a program running just below the surface of conscious thought.
 
If you guard the instruction given you by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, and cling to the discipline given you through wise counselors, you will find that your heart has a missile defense system against evil. You will spot trouble, while it is very far off, and you’ll be able to shoot it down. As it is pointed out in the passage, ignoring the incoming missile of evil is death. Guarding instruction means that she will in turn guard you. She is a ground to air defense system prepared to launch against all the sly or unexpected spiritual attacks in the unseen realms. It seems to me, the question might well be, why would you let yourself be exposed to all manner of self-destruction, when the LORD your faithful Father has provided the way of relief? Choose to keep hold of instruction!
 
I was a stranger, an outcast, a slave, a rebel,
but Your cross has brought me near,
has softened my heart,
has made me Your Father’s child,
has admitted me to Your family,
as made me a join-heir with Yourself, Lord Jesus.
O that I may love You as You love me
that I may walk worthy of You, my Lord,
that I may reflect the image of heaven’s first-born.
May I always see Your beauty with the clear eye of faith,
and feel the power of Your Spirit in my heart,
for unless the Spirit moves mightily in me,
no inward fire will be kindled.
Amen.
Adapted from final paragraph of “Need of Jesus”, The Valley of Vision. page 187
 
https://youtu.be/rpYM6Et_hVY?si=NVOwkn-aYGb-xJhL He Leadeth Me
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 25, 2026 -- Proverbs 4:3-4 -- Choose which hard path you'll take

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

When I was a son with my father,
tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
4  he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments, and live.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Pr 4:3–4.
 
Life is hard. Choose the hard you will engage in. You can choose to do hard things that lead to sin, to destruction, and ultimately to death, or you can choose the hard path that leads to life. Any son who strives to hold fast (that means, to hold onto tightly; think of our modern word fastener, something which secures, binds) his father’s Christian instruction will be endlessly mocked by his secular peers. Choose your hard path.
 
When your mother encourages you to keep the commandments of God, and live, you know your peers will be holding out a blunt, telling you you’re a loser, a wimp, a momma’s boy, if you don’t take a puff. But you know that whoever hates wisdom, loves death (Proverbs 8:36). Even those who appear to be Christian friends can be shaking hands with the devil. No wonder the culture all around celebrates skulls and death. An honest atheist chooses their hard path to death that ushers a man into hell with no possibility of mercy. A dishonest man is walking the road to death, all the while asserting he is free, he is happy, and no one is his master. The truth is, what you serve, you’re a slave to it. Today this warning reaches you, turn from evil and hold fast to the words of God and live. Turn from the little temptations, the small seemingly harmless itches to wrong doing. Serve Jesus and live.
 
O Lord God,
Thou art my protecting arm,
fortress, refuge, shield, buckler.
Fight for me and my foes must flee;
Uphold me and I cannot fall;
Strengthen me and I stand unmoved, unmoveable;
Equip me and I shall receive no wound;
Stand by me and Satan will depart;
Anoint my lips with a song of salvation and I shall shout thy victory;
Give me abhorrence of all evil,
as a vile monster that defies thy law,
casts off thy yoke,
defiles my nature, spreads misery.
Teach me to look to Jesus on his cross
and so to know sin’s loathsomeness in thy sight.
There is no pardon but through thy Son’s death,
no cleansing but in his precious blood,
no atonement but his to expiate evil.
Show me the shame, the agony, the bruises
of incarnate God,
that I may read boundless guilt in the boundless price;
May I discern the deadly viper in its real malignity,
tear it with holy indignation from my breast,
resolutely turn from its every snare,
refuse to hold polluting dalliance with it.
Blessed Lord Jesus, at thy cross
may I be taught the awful miseries from which I am saved,
ponder what the word ‘lost’ implies,
see the fires of eternal destruction;
Then may I cling more closely to thy broken self,
adhere to thee with firmer faith,
be devoted to thee with total being,
detest sin as strongly as thy love to me is strong,
And may holiness be the atmosphere
in which I live.
“Conflict” Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotions, page 182
 
https://youtu.be/936BapRFHaQ?si=3CDSsJtF7cl3HnQj He Will Hold Me Fast
 

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February 23, 2026 -- Proverbs 4:1-2 -- Choose to rehearse good instruction

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
and be attentive, that you may gain insight,
2  for I give you good precepts;
do not forsake my teaching.
English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Proverbs 4:1–2.
 
Choose to go back to wise instruction, throughout your life, let it be something you rehearse repeatedly in your life. Sometimes friends are recommending movies to one another, talking about the plot, the characters, the action and as often as they mention it, they are letting it dig deeper into their heart and imagination. I wonder, how often do we speak of our past instruction in godliness, so that it digs deeper into our imagination and heart? When we speak of teachings, of sermons, of our walk with God it will lead to giving praise and thanks to God for His goodness and His rich blessings.
 
Some of you might protest, but my father (or my mother) were not Christians at all. Fair enough. Who taught you the way of salvation? Who had such an influence on you that instruction in the way of the LORD became your moral compass and led you to follow Jesus Christ in humble obedience? Give thanks to God for such teachers.
 
Precepts are persuasive teaching—which can be wicked, like the silky-smooth words of an adulteress which would lead you to damnation—or precepts are godly instructions which convince you of the majesty of God. The Holy Spirit works in you through the reading of the Word so that you long to personally acquire and integrate into your life all that your honorable teachers taught you.
 
Then comes a warning: “do not forsake my teaching”. There will be tremendous pressures to cave-in and compromise. Jesus warned His followers, if the world hated Him, how much more will the world hate those who follow Him?! It gets even more difficult, even among fellow Christians there will be times when you are pressured to compromise or forsake some aspect of the truth of God’s word. You read how the apostles themselves had to wrestle with the bible, even vehemently disagreeing on how to interpret it correctly. Be attentive to all that is commanded. Be prepared to walk humbly and faithfully in the power of the Spirit and in true Christian community. It is hard work. It is holy work.
 
Humble me for not being as holy as I should be,
or as holy as I might be through Christ,
for You are all, and to possess You is to possess all. Amen
From “Reliance”, The Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotions, page 177
 
https://youtu.be/D36CbGfd2Dw?si=8iFzS1pfn7MuRTh2 Teach Me Thy Way, O Lord
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 22, 2026 -- Matthew 5:5-15 -- What do you rely on?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. 9 Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
Matthew 10:5-15 ESV
 
Faith. What do we really rely on? Note that those, during the life-time of Jesus, who are sent out to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel were not to acquire funds, or pack suitcases. Like the prophets of the Old Testament, they were to rely on the generosity of the people of God as they go out. I wonder. If our bank accounts were opened before the LORD and His servant—what would it prove? What do we rely on? Do we trust our money management? Do we buy things for ourselves? Are we investing in the Kingdom of God? Are we going out as His ambassadors, or are we living for ourselves?
 
Believers, who have no riches, show their dedication to the LORD in hosting servants of God in their homes. They support missionaries through prayers. Through letters of encouragement. Meals. Our goal in life is not to acquire money, wealth and possessions for our own use. We must, as the Proverbs teach us, be wise and gather up our wealth bit by bit, however, we must also be willing to give to anyone who is in need. All that we have is from the LORD and all we are is His. Our thoughts, our actions, our inaction, all of these are laid bare before our Creator. To Him we will give an account at the end of our lives. The passage is warning to us now to examine yourself. Ask yourself how you are, and how will, use your resources for the Kingdom of Jesus.
 
I give thanks to You, O LORD, with my whole heart;
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life;
You stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and Your right hand delivers me.
The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me;
Your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of Your hands.
Psalm 138:1a, 7-8 ESV
 
https://youtu.be/rpYM6Et_hVY?si=adE64mvvMjL8eEvo He Leadeth Me
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 20, 2026 -- Proverbs 3:27 -- Choose to act out the good you have received

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to do it.
Proverbs 3:27 ESV
 
Choose to act out the holiness you have in Christ. As I’ve noted before, I’m not sure where I first heard this expression, but it is so appropriate here: righteousness is holiness in action. What is stored up in your heart, the knowledge of God, love from God to you, love for God, love for neighbour, will flow from you in a demonstration of love. Good that you do can only flow from every good gift you have received from your Father in heaven. You have life. You have the gift of salvation through the reconciling blood of Jesus. You have the Holy Spirit planted in you to guard you in the grace of God and to equip you for righteous living.
 
From the abundance of His care to you, share good with those around you. Notice the passage restricts the giving of good to what is in your power to do. The word power in the original language is hand. Literally it reads ‘when it is in your hand to do it’. You are not to spend what you don’t have. God gives you hours in the day. He gives you talents. He gives you mental, physical and emotional strength. From the abundance with which He has blessed you, bless others. He has appointed you to be a channel of His blessing to the people He put into your life. You are uniquely suited for that purpose.
 
It is encouraging to note that Jesus did not heal every single person He met. Jesus, directed by the Holy Spirit, exercised His power for good. Even Jesus Himself, as a fully human man, could become depleted. The Gospel of Luke notes that Jesus often went to lonely places to pray. His intimate connection with the Father, through such prayer times, refreshed His soul, strengthened His weary body, and renewed His zeal for service. We know how to live, apportioning good to whom it is due, only as much as we rely on our relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Today’s passage is an invitation to be refreshed in God; and as you yourself are refreshed and strengthened in Him, use your abilities to be a blessing to others.
 
Father in heaven, blessed be Your Name, now and forever more. Thank You for the new life You give to Your people through Jesus Christ. Renew us by Your Spirit through the Word so we, who have been strengthened by You, will be willing, ready, and able to bless others out of the abundance of Your grace which wells up in us to eternal life. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/rpYM6Et_hVY?si=8D33YjGN7wH9gsXq He Leadeth Me
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 19, 2026 -- Proverbs 3:5-8 -- Health in the deepest part of your body

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.
Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV
 
Choose to obey to the LORD—and look at the result, it will be healing for your flesh and refreshment to your bones. The word “flesh” in the Hebrew language is “navel”. So, the implication is that in the deepest part of who you are, open-hearted submission to God heals your inward parts. In the original language the word “bone” is marrow. We know today that the marrow produces blood cells for the body. If the bones are sound, health flows to all the body.
 
How is such healing experienced in the life of the believer? It is by exercising trust in the LORD—which is so counter-cultural. There are so many forces, social pressures, and human reasons given why this seems crazy. But the Bible, written by men as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit, reveals the purposes and work of God, our Creator. It makes sense that He Who made us, knows what is best for us in our in-most parts and for our life in community. Acknowledging God in our all ways includes confessing our sins when we are wandering far from Him or going our own way.
 
To turn from evil, is to turn away from the things we do which are contrary to God’s rules for living. Evil words, deeds, or actions will lead to death. Evil is contrary to God’s rules and ways. Our heavenly Father has instituted for us the path of life, to fight His holy ways is to fight against your own mental, spiritual, emotional, sexual, physical and social health.
 
It is such mercy and love that God our Father shows us, that when we recognize our sinful ways and our wicked deeds, we discover He has already provided the healing and refreshment of salvation. We confess our sins, all the wrong paths we’ve taken, and do so in the powerful Name of Jesus. As soon as we make our confessions, we learn our sin has been punished upon the Person of Jesus at the cross, and we receive His righteousness. We receive the credit of His perfect, never-having-sinned, life. God sees us as having the perfection of Jesus—which in turn leads us to desire to walk in greater health. 
 
God of the Publican,
Be merciful to me a sinner;
this I am by nature and practice,
this thy Word proclaims me to be,
this I hope I feel myself to be;
Yet thou hast not left me to despair,
for there is no ‘^peradventure’ in thy grace;
I have all the assurance I need that with thee is plenteous redemption.
In spite of the number and heinousness of my sins
thou hast given me a token for good;
The golden sceptre is held out,
and thou hast said ‘Touch it and live’.
May I encourage myself by a sense of thy all-sufficiency,
by faith in thy promises, by views of the experience of others.
To that dear refuge in which so many have sheltered
from every storm may I repair,
In that fountain always freely open for sin
may I be cleansed from every defilement.
Sin is that abominable thing which thy soul hates,
and this alone separates thee and me.
Thou canst not contradict the essential perfections of thy nature;
Thou canst not make me happy with thyself,
till thou hast made me holy like thyself.
O holy God, make me such a creature
as thou canst take pleasure in,
and such a being that I can take pleasure in thee.
May I consent to and delight in thy law
after the inner man,
never complain over the strictness of thy demands,
but mourn over my want of conformity to them;
never question thy commandments,
but esteem them to be right.
By thy Spirit within me
may my practice spring from principle, and
my dispositions be conformable with duty.
     Valley of Vision: MERCY, page 170
 
Peradventure: doubt or uncertainty
https://youtu.be/o-ImfnUqWxg?si=T-2GTYTnxdh3TZ8u All Praise to Him
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 17, 2026 -- Proverbs 3:3 -- God's love and faithfulness; do you know it?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Proverbs 3:3.
 
What is steadfast love? It is the covenant love with which your Father in heaven loves you. Steadfast love (which is the translation of the Hebrew word hēsēd) has about 100 translations into English. It can mean lovingkindness, mercy, ardent zeal, graciousness, love, goodwill, commitment and so on. Faithfulness means firmness and truth as well as loyalty. Though believers are at times faithless, God is faithful, remembering His steadfast love forever, and it means that He Who started a good work in you will bring it to completion.
 
Why does it matter? Steadfast love and faithfulness are the treasures of God poured out into the life of the one who chooses obedience. Steadfast love and faithfulness which fill the heart of the one who knows he is loved by God through the accomplished work of Jesus Christ will in turn, show steadfast love and faithfulness toward the covenant community of believers. The storehouse of God’s treasures will be shared among believers, gifts more costly, valuable, and rare than mere gold, silver or possessions. Life in Christ is characterized as steadfast love and faithfulness received and then shared.
 
How does one walk so that he receives and shares such treasures?

• First, one is steeped in the teachings of God. Filled with the teachings of God through faithful parents. Maybe a Christian friend has become a spiritual father or mother to you and shows you this way of living.

• Second, one who has received the teaching of God, owns it not as the teachings “out there” which belongs to other people, but claims it as for himself as teaching that has grabbed his own heart. His soul is inspired by it, and so daily, he strives to live in steadfast love and faithfulness.

• Third, the more one realizes his life is drenched in God the Father’s steadfast love and faithfulness, more one realizes it is the Holy Spirit Who has made the word of God so rich. It is this wondrous beauty of the Word which leads one to trust in the Bible, with the eyes of faith see in its every page the Author and Perfecter of all true believing.

 
Our Father in heaven, steadfast in love and great in faithfulness, thank You for the new life that is ours in Christ. Thank You for Your extravagant grace shown to us in Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus, by Your Spirit, help us to walk in steadfast love and faithfulness, so that many will be drawn to new life in You. Forgive us for the times we have been lazy, ignorant, or rebellious. Let our lives be a polished mirror reflecting back to You Your steadfast love and faithfulness and then also reflecting these into the community of people among whom You have placed us. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/8q3jmXn6HTQ?si=e2C69deNcHdTqUdo Love Divine
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 16, 2026 -- Proverbs 3:1-2 -- The Advantage of Treasuring Up Teaching

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

My son, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments,
for length of days and years of life
and peace they will add to you.
Proverbs 3:1-2 ESV
 
Why is it that a boy, a teen-ager, a young woman, and every adult must remember the teaching of God. Godly instructions which have been given through a parent, or a spiritual father or mother? First, if your heart keeps the commandments, if you delight in the law of the LORD within yourself, then obedience will flow from your life. Whatever it is your heart ponders, your hands will eventually do.
 
Second, such obedience leads to greater obedience. In fact, guarding up the teaching of the LORD in your heart will lead to making a practice of living out the very holiness your heart treasures. Why is it that we often go astray? Simply because we have been treasuring up wrongdoing in our hearts. But if we’d treasure up the teaching of God, then our life would be filled with righteousness—that is, holiness acted out in every part of our day.
 
Third, keeping the commandments of God keeps a man from the destructive ways of sin. The Devil entices people to wrongdoing. Sure, sin feels good, but that is the Devil’s way where actions inevitably lead to death. Sin leads to death. It is the decree of God from the beginning. It is the will of the Devil to destroy all who are image-bearers of God—because the Devil hates God and can’t directly attack God, he attacks the image-bearers of God.
 
So, it makes sense that a man, or a woman, who has treasured up in the heart the teaching of God will experience length of days and years of life. Living for God results in life that is honourable, joy filled and purposeful. Even when a Christian is severely persecuted because he is living for Jesus, there is great rejoicing. Every hint of persecution confirms the godly one has identified with Jesus, not with the wickedness of the world.
 
Finally, treasuring up the teaching of wisdom will bring you peace. That wonderful word, peace, is a translation of the Hebrew word shalom. Shalom means wholeness. Absence of war. When a believer, guided by the Holy Spirit, walks in the ways of God, he is not at war in himself, endlessly deciding what he will do, or won’t do. When a woman is at peace with God in her soul, she is not on the fly making decisions about the important matters of her life. It is already settled within her, so every circumstance she meets, she can face knowing she has already committed her way to God, her gracious Father.
 
Father in heaven, thank You for every instruction in holiness we have received from faithful parents, from willingly-serving Sunday School teachers, and from our spiritual fathers or mothers. Blessed are You, O LORD our God, for adding length of days and years of life to those who are obedient to you through Jesus, our Redeemer-King. By Your Holy Spirit, planted within us, sustain and enlarge our desire to live for Jesus. Empower us to do what we have pledged to do, so that our heart and our hands, our lips and our life bring honour and praise to God. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/C-T7VyCMbQQ?si=lCpRjSvCMnDIkoAU Take My Life and Let It Be
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.